ng, until they all came up behind
their desks, face foremost, and added themselves to the number of
staring young countenances. After this there was a silence, which grew
more and more embarrassing.

"Perhaps you would be pleased to hear our first class in geography,
sir?" asked the fair Marilla, recovering her presence of mind; and the
guest kindly assented.

The young teacher was by no means willing to give up a certainty for
an uncertainty. Yesterday's lesson had been well learned; she turned
back to the questions about the State of Kansota, and at the first
sentence the mysterious visitor's dignity melted into an unconscious
smile. He listened intently for a minute, and then seemed to reoccupy
himself with his own thoughts and purposes, looking eagerly about the
old school-house, and sometimes gazing steadily at the children. The
lesson went on finely, and when it was finished Miss Hender asked the
girl at the head of the class to name the States and Territories,
which she instantly did, mispronouncing nearly all the names of the
latter; then others stated boundaries and capitals, and the resources
of the New England States, passing on finally to the names of the
Presidents. Miss Hender glowed with pride; she had worked hard over
the geography class in the winter term, and it did not fail her on
this great occasion. When she turned bravely to see if the gentleman
would like to ask any questions, she found that he was apparently
lost in a deep reverie, so she repeated her own question more
distinctly.

"They have done very well,--very well indeed," he answered kindly; and
then, to every one's surprise, he rose, went up the aisle, pushed
Johnny Spencer gently along his bench, and sat down beside him. The
space was cramped, and the stranger looked huge and uncomfortable, so
that everybody laughed, except one of the big girls, who turned pale
with fright, and thought he must be crazy. When this girl gave a faint
squeak Miss Hender recovered herself, and rapped twice with the ruler
to restore order; then became entirely tranquil. There had been talk
of replacing the hacked and worn old school-desks with patent desks
and chairs; this was probably an agent connected with that business.
At once she was resolute and self-reliant, and said, "No whispering!"
in a firm tone that showed she did not mean to be trifled with. The
geography class was dismissed, but the elderly gentleman, in his
handsome overcoat, still sat there